FAQs that are ready for people and assistants.

Create your first dictation

Hold the activation hotkey, speak naturally, then release. VoxChimp transcribes locally and pastes the result wherever your cursor is active.

How do I install VoxChimp?

Drag VoxChimp into Applications to install.

1. Open your Downloads folder and double-click VoxChimp.dmg.
2. In the window that appears, drag VoxChimp into the Applications folder.
3. Open Applications and launch VoxChimp. The first time you launch it, macOS may ask you to confirm opening an app downloaded from the internet. Click Open.

What permissions does VoxChimp need?

VoxChimp needs a few macOS permissions to work from anywhere:

• Microphone access to hear your dictation.
• Accessibility access to paste text at the active cursor.
• Input Monitoring to detect your activation hotkey.

What macOS versions are supported?

VoxChimp requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later. It runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.

Which apps does VoxChimp work with?

VoxChimp works system-wide with apps that accept text input. That includes Slack, Gmail, VS Code, Notion, iMessage, Pages, browser text fields, and most other places where your Mac cursor can type.

Does VoxChimp work offline?

Transcription and translation run on local models, so core dictation does not need an internet connection. Agent Mode needs a connection when it talks to a cloud provider, but can also be configured with local model providers for offline-style workflows.

What is Agent Mode in VoxChimp?

Agent Mode in VoxChimp lets you speak an instruction while selected text or clipboard content is passed to your chosen assistant profile. It is built for fast, repeatable workflows like rewriting an email, summarising notes, or turning rough ideas into structured output.

How is Agent Mode different from dictation?

Dictation captures what you say and pastes text at your cursor. Agent Mode captures an instruction, combines it with selected text or clipboard content, and asks a configured AI provider to transform it before you paste the result.

What are chimps?

Chimps are configurable profiles for formatting or transforming text. A chimp can be tuned for email, Slack, code comments, clean transcription, translation, or another repeatable writing job.

Which AI providers can power Agent Mode?

Agent Mode can use configured cloud providers such as Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, Grok, or GitHub Copilot, and local model providers such as LM Studio or Ollama. The right option depends on whether you prioritise speed, privacy, cost, or model quality.

How does VoxChimp use the clipboard?

Dictation pastes the transcribed text where your cursor is. In Agent Mode, VoxChimp can use selected text or clipboard text as input, then replace the clipboard with the transformed result so you can paste it where you need it.

Use Agent Mode with clipboard text

Copy or select the text you want to transform, hold the Agent Mode shortcut, speak the instruction, and let the configured chimp produce the result.

Can Agent Mode use web search?

Yes. Search-backed chimps can use a configured search provider such as SearXNG, Brave, Tavily, SerpAPI, or Serper for current facts, rates, news, or other live information before generating an answer.

Can VoxChimp translate as I dictate?

Yes. VoxChimp can translate dictated text locally, including workflows where you speak in English and output text in another language.

Connect OpenAI

Add your OpenAI API key in VoxChimp Settings under Providers. Credentials are stored locally and used only when an assistant action is triggered.

• Open Settings, then Providers.
• Paste your OpenAI API key into the OpenAI field.
• Test the connection.
• Pick a default model for Agent Mode.

Connect Anthropic Claude

Open Settings, choose Providers, paste your Anthropic API key, test the connection, and choose the Claude model you want your chimps to use.

How do I set up LM Studio for Agent Mode?

LM Studio is a free desktop app for running local AI models with a built-in server. Set it up once and VoxChimp uses it for every Agent Mode request.

1. Download LM Studio from lmstudio.ai and install it.
2. Pick a chat model in LM Studio that fits your Mac's RAM (see "Which local model should I choose?" for guidance).
3. Open the Developer tab in LM Studio and start the local server. Note the base URL (default: http://localhost:1234/v1).
4. In VoxChimp, open Settings > Agent and select "LM Studio (Local)".
5. Paste the base URL, pick your loaded model, and test the connection.

How do I set up Ollama for Agent Mode?

Ollama is a free, open-source tool that runs large language models locally. It's the quickest way to get Agent Mode working without an API key.

1. Install Ollama: brew install ollama (or download from ollama.ai).
2. Pull a model: ollama pull llama3.2.
3. Ollama runs automatically on localhost:11434. No extra setup needed.
4. In VoxChimp, open Settings > Agent and select "Ollama (Local)".
5. Default model is llama3.2. Hit "Test connection" and you're good to go.

How do I set up SearXNG for search-backed chimps?

SearXNG is a free, self-hosted search engine that runs in Docker on your Mac. It gives search-backed chimps live web results without needing an API key.

1. Install Docker Desktop from docker.com/products/docker-desktop. It's free for personal use. Open it once to finish setup.
2. Download our ready-made setup files: searxng-setup.zip. Unzip anywhere on your Mac.
3. Open Terminal (in Applications > Utilities), navigate to the unzipped folder, and run docker compose up -d. This downloads and starts SearXNG.
4. In VoxChimp, open Settings > Web Search and select "SearXNG".
5. SearXNG restarts automatically with Docker Desktop, so you only set it up once.

Prefer not to install Docker? You can use a paid search provider (Brave, Tavily, SerpAPI, or Serper) with just an API key, configured in the same settings panel.

Which local model should I choose?

Match the model to your Mac's RAM. Use smaller models for short formatting tasks; use larger or quantised models for longer rewrites, reasoning, or multi-step Agent Mode workflows.

• 8 GB RAM: Qwen 2.5 7B, Phi-4 Mini 3.8B, or Nemotron Nano 4B.
• 16 GB RAM: Gemma 3 12B or Gemma 4 26B MoE (quantised).
• 24 GB RAM: Gemma 4 31B, Qwen 3.5 27B, or Gemma 4 26B MoE (full).
• 32+ GB RAM: any model at higher quantisation (Q8_0) for best quality.

On Apple Silicon, both Ollama and LM Studio use Metal automatically, so larger models often run faster than RAM alone would suggest.

Why isn't my hotkey being detected?

This is almost always a permissions issue. Fix it in System Settings:

1. Open System Settings.
2. Go to Privacy & Security > Input Monitoring.
3. Make sure VoxChimp is in the list and enabled.
4. If VoxChimp isn't listed, click the + button and add it from Applications.
5. Restart VoxChimp.

Why isn't text pasting after I speak?

VoxChimp needs Accessibility permission to paste text at the cursor. Fix it in System Settings:

1. Open System Settings.
2. Go to Privacy & Security > Accessibility.
3. Make sure VoxChimp is in the list and enabled.
4. If VoxChimp isn't listed, click + and add it from Applications.
5. Restart VoxChimp.

Why isn't my microphone working?

Check both microphone permission and your input device:

1. Open System Settings.
2. Go to Privacy & Security > Microphone and enable VoxChimp.
3. Go to Sound > Input and confirm the correct microphone is selected.
4. Speak and watch the input level meter to confirm audio is reaching macOS.

How can I improve transcription accuracy?

Try these tips:

• Speak clearly and at a moderate pace.
• Reduce background noise.
• Use a quality microphone; external mics often work better than built-in.
• Position the microphone closer to your mouth.
• For domain-specific terms, add them to your Vocabulary in Settings > Vocabulary so VoxChimp normalises them after transcription.

If you're still seeing accuracy issues, send us a message describing the problem.

How do I change the hotkey?

Change the activation key in Settings:

1. Click the VoxChimp icon in your Dock or menu bar.
2. Open Settings.
3. Under "Hotkey", select your preferred key.
4. Available options: Left Option, Right Option, Left Control, Right Control, Caps Lock.

How do I cancel my subscription?

Manage your subscription from VoxChimp:

1. Open VoxChimp and go to Settings > License.
2. Click Manage subscription.
3. This opens the Stripe customer portal where you can cancel.
4. Your access continues until the end of your billing period.

If you have trouble, email [email protected] and we'll help.

Does my audio leave my Mac?

No. VoxChimp dictation and transcription run on-device. Agent Mode sends text only after you explicitly ask a provider-backed chimp to process it. The Markdown help content on this page is public website copy and never includes licence keys, emails, or personal audio.

Can I find previous transcriptions?

VoxChimp includes a History view for reviewing and searching recent transcriptions, with details such as when the transcription happened, how many words it contained, and where it was pasted.

What are Insights and Voice Health?

Insights summarise usage patterns such as transcription volume and productivity trends. Voice Health is informational and based on vocal pattern analysis over time; it is not medical advice and should not replace professional care.

Is there a free trial?

Yes. VoxChimp offers a free trial with full access, then a Pro plan for continued use. See the pricing page for current rates.